Did you know there are five generations in today's modern workforce? Now, if we could just get everyone to all work together! Let's take a quick review of each generation and their traits before we delve into the common problems we see our clients face...

Often we hear much about the best practices in Human Resources Management (HRM). So much so that there is frequently confusion about what that exactly means and what the universal practices really are. While a segment of these best practices can be applied comprehensively in most organizations, what might be considered an HRM best practice in one corporate culture, industry, or organization might not be transportable as a best practice in another.

Finding the right leader for your organization can mean double digit profits or shutting your doors forever. While this is certainly an extreme example of what can happen, we all look for exceptional leaders that can lead our organizations to new and exceptional heights. During my time as a Business Partner for Helios HR, I have had the pleasure of working with both exceptional and mediocre leaders. Some of these exceptional leaders have embodied the following characteristics as described in Kouzes and Posner’s famous work “The Leadership Challenge”:

I have handled many employee relations issues in my time as an HR professional and over the years have said to myself on countless occasions, “gosh, if only the manager had managed the employee, we wouldn't be having these performance discussions right now.” I think, too often, great employees are promoted into manager positions because that seems like the next logical step in that individual’s career path.

The health of your human capital should be one of your organization’s top priorities year after year. All levels of management should be just as concerned about this issue as they are other financial objectives and goals you are trying to achieve. Studies have shown a healthy and engaged organizations lead to better customer service, increased retention and better bottom line results. As an HR Business Partner to various organizations in the DC Metro area, I find many organizations focus on the costs of healthcare and don’t focus on creating a healthy organization through strategic initiatives. This leads to programs that are incomplete and don’t accomplish what they are set out to do. The rest of this article will provide your organization with the seven steps necessary to develop the best wellness program for your firm.

Every day I hear the terms “manager” and “leader” used interchangeably. However, when you really start to explore what it means to be a leader, you will find that there are distinct and important differences between the two titles. While a manager can be a leader, the two terms are not mutually exclusive.